All The Difference
by Shiho Hahnenfuss
Summary: Chapter 3 is here! ^_^ Now that Jou-chan finally believes Zanza, he shows her the dire consequences of her 'disappearing'...(First up: Sanosuke)
1. Prologue : Unremembered Days and Brainle...

"A single drop of water affects all surrounding it..."

-Anonymous

**All The Difference**

**By Sagara Sanosuke**

Kamiya Kaoru woke up to the sound of birds singing in the early morning. Yawning loudly, she sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes. Pausing a moment, she heard a faint humming from the back yard.

Looks like Kenshin's already up. He's probably doing the laundry right now, she thought. It still boggles the mind as to why a man like him would do housework willingly…He looks good when he does the chores, though. The sweat glistening off his chest in the sun… She shook her head furiously to get rid of THAT train of thought, blushing. There was something about today that was important, she thought, but what was it? After a few seconds, she remembered.

It's my birthday today! I almost forgot!  Kaoru frantically scrambled out of bed and dressed herself in a nice light blue kimono. Tightening her green obi, she slid open the shoji door and walked out to the yard where Kenshin was, indeed, sitting beside the laundry tub and washing clothes, humming to himself. Sensing Kaoru watching him, Himura Kenshin turned his head to face her, smiling.

"Ohayo, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin cheerfully greeted her. "Sessha has already prepared breakfast for you, de gozaru yo." He stood up, brushing some soap bubbles off his worn white hakama. "Shall we go in?"

Kaoru mentally sighed. Still the same attitude, ne Kenshin? Always "Kaoru-dono" and "Sessha"…When will you stop acting like you don't deserve anything? She thought bitterly. 

When will you let me admit I care for you?

"Kaoru-dono? Daijobu ka?" Kenshin asked, snapping Kaoru out of her contemplation. He felt a twinge of worry at the serious, almost sad look on her face.

"Ah, it's nothing," Kaoru replied, plastering a cheerful look on her features. 

~*~

"By the way, where's Yahiko-chan?" Kaoru asked curiously, noticing that the brat was strangely absent from the breakfast table.

"He went to the Akabeko early this morning, de gozaru yo," Kenshin replied, sipping his miso soup. Kaoru knew the hidden message in his words; Yahiko had gone to see Tsubame-chan again.

Mou! Even that gaki-deshi of mine has more progress in his relationship than me! If this goes on he'll get married before I do…

She had a sudden mental image of an adult Yahiko and Tsubame, surrounded by kids, with a VERY old Kaoru and a VERY old Kenshin standing with them, still without an ounce of a relationship between them. The thought annoyed Kaoru to no end.

"Ano…Kaoru-dono? Is there something wrong with the food de gozaru? Why aren't you eating?"

"Nani? Ah, iie, nothing's wrong," Kaoru replied, still feeling a little annoyed. She took her chopsticks and began eating in silence. After a few moments, Kaoru asked tentatively, "Um… Kenshin? Do you know what day is it today?"

"Oro? I think it is the 14th, de gozaru yo."

"No, what I mean is, what DAY is it today?" Kaoru repeated, growing more exasperated.

"Ano… It is a Thursday de gozaru yo." Kenshin was starting to get a little nervous.

"No, I mean, WHAT DAY IS IT TODAY?"

"Um…Ah, sessha remembers!" Kenshin replied happily.

"Well?" Kaoru asked, hope in her voice.

"It is…laundry day de gozaru yo!"

Kaoru facefaulted, then stood up, eyes burning. "KENSHIN NO BAKA!!!" she yelled vehemently, nailing him with a fist.

"OROROOOO!!!!" went Kenshin as he sailed out through the door and flew towards the gate. Just then, it flew open, resulting in Kenshin's path of flight being altered as the gate slammed him sideways into a tree that was conveniently placed to stop Kaoru's spontaneous demonstration of the fact that yes, humans can fly at a high speed without any mechanical aid whatsoever. This resulted in a very dazed Kenshin lying slumped beneath the tree with wide, swirly eyes.

"Oroo……"

~*~

"Hey, Kenshin? You okay? Just HOW hard did Jou-chan hit ya anyway?"

Kenshin blinked away the last of the little raccoons hovering within his vision and his eyes focused on a familiar spiky, brown haired head with a red bandanna looking at him, fishbone in mouth. "Sano? Is that you?"

Sagara Sanosuke snorted, then straightened up from his earlier crouching position. "Who'dya think it was? The Kitsune-onna?" He casually jerked a thumb towards the gate. 

"That was some dent you made in the gate. You've got a helluva hard head, ya know? And by the way," Sano continued, heading towards the house, "Jou-chan told me to tell ya when ya woke up that you gotta fix the hole in the door you flew through, the gate you bounced off and you also have ta move the tree you crashed into to its former position. By the way, she also said she was going out." 

Whistling, Sano carelessly shoved the broken shoji aside and made his way to the leftovers of breakfast. Wonder why Jou-chan was muttering about forgetful baka-rurounis? Yare yare…none of my business anyway. Though she was a little pissed when I just said "Ohayo" to her…hmm…

Kenshin looked around saw the damage and sweatdropped. He turned around and saw that the tree behind him was currently on its side and leaning on the fence, which was starting to crack. As Kenshin watched helplessly, the fence gave way under the weight of the tree and crashed to the ground along with it.

"Orororororooooo……" As he got up and dusted his hakama, he thought to himself, Just what day IS it today? And I wonder why Kaoru-dono was wearing that quite beautiful kimono today?

~*~

Kenshin no baka! Kaoru thought angrily as she stormed through the streets. He didn't even remember my birthday! She felt a wetness trickle down her cheek and wiped it away furiously. Of all the stupid, insensitive, uncaring things to do…

Her inner ranting was cut short when she was knocked down by a familiar spiky-headed boy, who didn't even bother to help her up but continued running.

"YAHIKO!!!! GET BACK HERE!!!"

"No way, Busu-sensei!" Myoujin Yahiko yelled tauntingly, sticking his tongue out at Kaoru. He was rushing on an errand for Tsubame, and he wanted to complete it as fast as he could so that he could hear her sweet voice say, "Thank you, Yahiko-kun." He grinned at the prospect, and continued running. No way was he letting the Busu-sensei slow him down. In fact, he was hoping that she would chase him, so he would speed up in order to escape her clutches.

"URUSAI, GAKI!!! I'LL GET YOU!!!…" Kaoru yelled before realizing that a fair amount of people was staring curiously at her. Blushing a little, she stood up, brushing dirt off her kimono. Despite her efforts, the light blue of the fabric remained stubbornly stained with a patch of brown.

Chikusho…My nicest kimono is ruined…I'm gonna work that baka-gaki to death when he gets back… She half considered chasing Yahiko and thrashing him, but stopped herself. Today is MY birthday, and I'm not letting anything spoil it. Not even three stupid males who can't remember my birthday. She started walking towards the Akabeko.

~*~

At the moment, the said three males sneezed simultaneously, then absently rubbed their noses.

Wonder who's saying things about me? Yahiko, Sanosuke and Kenshin thought.

~*~

"Irrashaimase! Oh, Kaoru-chan, it's you! How've you been?" Sekihara Tae greeted cheerfully.

"Oh, I've been fine the past few days," Kaoru replied. Here, at least, she could find someone who remembered her birthday, she thought happily.

"Have a seat," Tae said, leading Kaoru over to  an empty booth. "Would you like anything, Kaoru-chan?"

She hasn't said anything yet. Maybe she's going to surprise me. "Um…a cup of tea would be nice," Kaoru replied.

As Tae busied herself with getting some tea, Kaoru fidgeted a little nervously. Wait…What if she doesn't remember? What if no one does? 

What if no one cares?

Tae reappeared at the table, setting a cup of tea down. "Kaoru-chan? Daijobu?" Tae asked.

"Oh…nothing, Tae-san," Kaoru replied, picking the cup up and sipping her tea. I seem to be saying that a lot today, she thought wryly.

"Sou ka? Oh, in that case, I'll be taking my leave for now. A few customers are coming in," Tae said, walking away.

"Ch…chotto! Tae!" Kaoru stammered. Tae turned around.

"Nani?"

"Don't…don't you know what day it is today?"

"Oh, I know!" Kaoru's eyes widened hopefully. "It's the day of the sale at the doujinshi shop! I must remember to go today…Thanks for reminding me, Kaoru-chan!" Tae bustled away happily, oblivious to the crushed and downcast Kaoru. 

Even she doesn't remember…Am I so unimportant to everyone? Kaoru thought listlessly, as she rose and walked out of the restaurant.

~*~

Tae watched her friend walk out of the restaurant worriedly. "Did I say something wrong?" she said to herself.

"Oi, miss! We need some service here!" a guy yelled from a nearby booth. Sighing, Tae walked over to him and took orders. As she headed for the kitchen, a thought struck her.

Wait a minute…isn't today Kaoru-chan's birthday? Oh my…Judging by her expression earlier, no one else remembered…And she expected me as her best friend to remember as well…she must have been crushed. Well, Tae thought firmly, I'll make it up to her.

Entering the kitchen, she noticed that Tsubame and Yahiko were there. Calling the two of them, she began to make her plans…

~*~

After endless moments of wandering aimlessly, Kamiya Kaoru found herself in an all-too-familiar road near a river. Plopping down on the grassy bank, she looked up into the sky, tears forming in her eyes.

No one remembered…Not Tae, not Yahiko, not Sanosuke, not even Kenshin…This is the worst birthday ever…

Kaoru cried softly, her tears sliding down her face and forming dewdrops on the grass. Is it because I've never done anything good for any one of them?

She recalled scenes from the past…whacking Yahiko repeatedly with her bokken… thrashing Sanosuke for mooching off her again…launching Kenshin through walls despite everything he'd done for her…repeatedly taking advantage of Tae's generosity, never giving anything back to her.

Maybe it would've been better if I had never existed, Kaoru thought sadly. Unknown to her, a faint glow was starting to surround her.

"I wish I'd never been born!!" Kaoru yelled into the air, tears lining her face.

As soon as the words were spoken, the faint glow shined brighter, enveloping Kaoru within its golden light.

"N…Nani?!" Kaoru yelled, surprised at what was happening.

The light blinded her for a few moments, then it died down, leaving an astonished Kaoru on the ground.

"What just happened?"  Kaoru asked no one in particular, not expecting a reply.

She got a reply.

"Well, looks like your wish did get granted, Jou-chan," A familiar voice answered. Kaoru turned to face it, shock registering in her eyes.

"S…Sanosuke? Is that you?"

It was him, yet it wasn't. Sanosuke didn't wear glasses. Neither did he carry a spear. Neither did he wear a blue jacket. But besides those three features, the man standing before Kaoru looked exactly like her rooster-headed friend.

"No, not exactly," the man drawled. He even TALKED like Sano. Kaoru narrowed her eyes, then grabbed a branch and held it in front of her like a makeshift bokken.

"Who are you? What are you doing here, and what do you have to do with that odd light earlier?" Kaoru asked cautiously, aware that this was definitely NOT Sano. The man smirked.

"Slow down, Jou-chan. First, I'm Sagara Sanosuke. Not the one you know, but him nonetheless. It'd take me too long to explain. Second, what am I doing here? Well, I've been sent by someone. Third, well, I was gonna get to that part."

"What is it?" Kaoru asked threateningly.

"Well, feisty aren't we? Here's your answer; someone out there heard your wish. It's your lucky day."

"Wish? What wish?"

The Sano sighed. "Man, can't you even remember? Remember what you said just before the flash of light? Well, you've got your wish."

Kaoru didn't understand. She refused to. "I still don't understand!"

"You REALLY don't get it? Well, I'll tell it to you straight."

"Sano" smiled.

"You don't exist."

-to be continued

A/N : YATTA!!! leaps in joy It's finally done! Oh yeah baby!! calms down and gives trademark Sano grin Well, how's this for a first fic? Sumimasen for any typos, lousy ideas, wrong facts yadda yadda yadda. I MIIIIIGHT continue this if you fellas give me yer support. Otherwise, I'll just dump this fic in the trash and stop writin'. Man, this "Fanfiction" stuff is hard ta type…Even if you're a character in it…grin

Disclaimer: I belong to myself. (Just kiddin'!) Rurouni Kenshin and I belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki. He drew me in the first place, so I owe him. Remember to put your own disclaimer ta borrow the Kenshin-gumi for yer fics!

-Sano


	2. Chapter 1 : Explanations and Discovery

A/N: Weeeelllll, looks like this story o' mine was more popular than I thought. Thanks for the reviews, fellas! For those who gave me signed ones, here's my individual thanks;

Bastion: Domo arigato! Of course humans can fly…Jou-chan's proven it many times…

Colleen: Arigato! Maybe I got the feel for the characters because I live with them…heheheh…

Firuze Khamune: Yeah, your review helped a lot. Yahiko's furious with my success…grin No, he is DEFINITELY NOT a cross between Enishi and me. He's more like my current incarnation. I do wear glasses. And I like blue. ^_^

Sephy: Handsome, ain't it? grin

Katala: You've made him mad already…heheheheh…

IYandKH4ever: What's gonna happen next? Read on!

Hana Himura: Ah, another great author! (This is gettin' good!) Your PBS story was freakin' funny…snickers Thanks for the review. Just a little more to go…

Susan: …Just whaddya mean by Sagara-taichou "having fun" with me?

Carole: YEAH!!! REVIEW NO. 20!!! Thanx! That cash is mine for the taking! Hahahahahahaha!!!!

Yasai-chan: Actually, yours is review 21…Thanks anyway!

CyberSerpent: Ya know, I never thought of that…But remember, we celebrate Tanabata, not Valentine's day…I told Yahiko-CHAN already…heheheh. Boy is he pissed at you for the suggestion…

And this is specially for those authors who reviewed me and whose fics I've especially enjoyed;

Arashi-jou-chan: Hey hey, thanks for the feedback! Ya know, it would be nice if you could kick me over to the keyboard once in a while…I get lazy a little. Okay, a lot. Sue me ^_^ Anyway, I do agree that Jou-chan's damned important to us. That's why her non-existence is gonna have EXTREMELY bad effects on everyone…read on!

Karina-jou-chan: AHHH!!!! Karina-jou-chan reviewed me! Kami-sama! collapses to the ground You know, I could fit that alter ego bit into my story if ya don't mind. But like I said to Firuze, he's more like my modern incarnation…heheheh. Hot, ain't he? BTW, I can't give ya your share of the yen yet. That damn Yahiko-chan tricked me…I'll explain at the end. As for the kitsune-sensei, her role in my story's gonna have a bit o' angst in it…

Bao Blossom-sama: I'm honoured to have the author of "First Date" to review my story. bows in admiration Domo arigato for your review. It's worth three times that of any normal author to me. reverts back from formal personality You're a better author than me! And ya don't havta kill me…The next chapter's here already. Besides, the Kitsune-onna who I married'll be VERY angry if you do…eerie "Ohohohohoho!" comes from the backgroundAnd I'll take the fishbone. ^_^++

Zosocrowe-sama: I bow before one of the masters in RK fanfiction. Yeah, this is my first. BTW, I didn't eat all her food. You think I wanna get food poisoning? chuckles evilly And don't worry, I'd never attack ya with my Zanbatou… unless you stop writing your Kenji fics or you flame me, of course. ^_^

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As a side note, to avoid confusion between the actual Sano and me, I'll be referring to myself in this fic as Zanza. grins Yes, this is a self insertion fic. I'm Sano, aren't I?

Now, on with the story!

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**All The Difference**

**By Sagara Sanosuke**

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**Chapter 1**

**Explanations And Discovery: Part 1**

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Kaoru didn't understand. She refused to. "I still don't understand!"

"You REALLY don't get it? Well, I'll tell it to you straight."

"Sano" smiled.

"You don't exist."

~*~

Kaoru was taken aback. No, make that _shocked._ She stared at 'Sano' for a moment, her mouth gaping open. 'Sano' just stood there, patiently waiting for a reaction. When it did come, it wasn't one he expected.

Kaoru started laughing hysterically, clutching her stomach and bending over with laughter. 'Sano' was stunned for a moment, then an enraged look appeared on his face.

"Just WHAT THE HECK is so damned funny?!" he yelled, pissed. Kaoru paused her laughing for a moment, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Oh, that's a good joke, Sano. 'I don't exist'," she said, chuckling and patting him on the back. "Now stop kidding around already. What's with the change of clothing? And where'd you get the spear from? Don't tell me you won it by gambling?"

'Sano' mentally sighed in relief. Okay, so she hasn't gone nuts, she's just in denial. Let's see… He snapped his fingers and a small book appeared in his hand. Flipping through it, he found the section on "What a guide should do in case of…"

Hmm…"In case of denial, explain to client everything and be as serious as possible. However, do not tell client of the actual purpose of granting his/her wish. And above all, handle the client with tact." Well, so much for tact earlier on…here goes… He snapped his fingers again, making the book disappear, and turned to Kaoru.

"Okay, Jou-chan, listen up. The reason I'm here is…" 'Sano' trailed off at the surprised look on Kaoru's face.

"How'd you do that, Sano?"

"Do what?"

"Make that book appear and disappear again."

'Sano' grinned. "It's just a little handy ability I've got, but that's beside the point. As I was saying, the reason I'm here is because…what the?"

Kaoru grabbed the makeshift bokken she'd dropped earlier and abruptly whacked 'Sano' on the head, breaking it in the process. (The stick, not the head.)

"ITAI!!! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?!!!" 'Sano' yelped angrily. Kaoru wasn't listening. She stared at the broken wood in her hand.

"Okay, so this isn't a dream…what's going on?" she said to herself. 

'Sano' slapped his hand to his forehead in frustration. "Oh, for cryin' out loud…This is reality, dammit! And I'm TRYING ta explain what's goin' on so stop whacking me and listen up already!!"

Kaoru folded her arms and narrowed her eyes threateningly. "You have 5 seconds to explain what's going on, Sano, and it'd better be good. 5…"

"Well…damn, how do I explain this?'

"4…"

"I…uh…"

"3…"

"C'mon, ya gotta relax first…"

"2…"

"Maybe you'd better sit down."

"1…"

"I was sent here by Kami-sama because he saw what happened to you and took pity on you and decided to help you by granting your wish and I'm supposed to be your guide through the world before you get taken up to Tengoku, alright?!" he yelled in one breath.

Kaoru paused, processing his words in her head for a moment. She snorted in contempt.

"That's the lousiest explanation I've ever heard of in my entire life, Sano. That's it. I'm going back to the dojo. You can continue this stupid joke by yourself if you like, but stop fooling around with me." With that, she stomped away irritably. 

'Sano' massaged his forehead in frustration. "Man, why did I ever choose ta go for this mission in this form? Yare yare…even if she doesn't believe me, she's gonna find out sooner or later. Just wish she didn't have to the hard way…Well, I'd better keep an eye on her."

The rooster-head in blue put two fingers to the red bandanna on his forehead. Concentrating for a moment, the tall figure flickered in the evening light and vanished.

­~*~

Kamiya Kaoru was pissed as she walked the road leading to the dojo. Not only had everyone forgotten her birthday, a certain baka-tori-atama just HAD to mess it up further, didn't he? He and his nonsense…did he really expect her to believe him?

Of all the low-down, rotten, dirty, stupid jokes… she grumbled mentally, then stopped. She stared at what was in front of her.

Or rather, what wasn't.

The Kamiya Kasshin dojo, Kaoru's home and refuge, was no more.

Instead, what stood in its place was a large, new-looking wooden structure which bore a wooden sign at the gate. Pairs of footwear could be seen at the entrance. Men and women's voices and laughter could be heard from within.

No Yahiko. No Kenshin.

Kaoru gazed in disbelief at the wooden sign in front, her hand dropping the makeshift bokken she'd been gripping.

_-Hiruma Gambling Hall-_

WHAT THE HELL?!!!!

Kaoru snatched up the bough and barged into the building. Slamming the door open, she took in the sight of the gamblers sitting at their mats and the scantily clad women serving sake. And sitting at one particular mat was…

"Hiruma Gohei?!!"

Indeed, it was the hulking giant who'd been severely injured once by Kenshin's sakabatou. He stood up with an evil grin.

"Well well, what do we have here, boys? Another willing worker for our establishment? There's always room for more," Gohei chuckled.

"Damn you, Hiruma! What've you done to Kenshin and Yahiko?! And how dare you come back here after Kenshin chased you away?!" Kaoru shouted in rage.

Gohei looked confused for a moment, then grinned evilly. "I have no idea what you're rambling about, girl, but I don't like the fact that you think this place is yours." He advanced, drawing a sword. Kaoru backed against the wall, wielding the makeshift bokken in a defensive stance.

"You think that twig's gonna defeat me?" Gohei snorted in contempt. His sneer was cut short as he suddenly found himself sprawled on the floor, his head throbbing in pain. Kaoru had dealt him a hard blow.

"Boss!" his flunkies yelled, getting to their feet and drawing their swords. They advanced menacingly towards Kaoru, who found herself trapped by the gangsters. She closed her eyes, praying for someone, anyone, to come and help…

"Yare yare…it looks like you just can't stay out of trouble, can ya, Jou-chan?" a familiar voice drawled. Kaoru's eyes snapped open and she turned to see…

"Sano!"

"In the flesh." 'Sano' replied with the usual all-too-confident grin. He unsheathed his spear, pushing up his glasses with two fingers. His brown eyes glinted as he counted the number of opponents.

"Too easy."

With a spine-chilling roar, he charged with lightning speed towards the gangsters before they could move a muscle. With a single stroke of his spear, he felled two to three men at once. You couldn't even see him as he assaulted the group.

He's almost as fast as Kenshin…how did Sano train to that level? Kaoru thought wildly.

Within a few moments, all the men lay unmoving on the ground. The other customers and workers had long since evacuated the area. 'Sano' stood proudly on top of a pile of defeated opponents, grinning and flashing a 'V' symbol with one hand. Kaoru sank to her knees in shock and disbelief.

"H…how'd you…kill all of them so easily?" she stammered.

"Kill? Nah, I just knocked 'em out. Ya can't kill anyone with this spear. See?" He held out the spear for her to examine.

"It's a blunt spear…like Kenshin's sakabatou…Where'd you get this, Sano?" Kaoru asked, curious.

"First, stop calling me Sano. I'm not really your rooster-headed friend, so just call me Zanza instead," Zanza commented with a grin.

"Fine. Where'd you get this from, _Zanza_?" Kaoru repeated. I'll humor him, she thought.

Zanza was just about to reply when he heard the distant whistles that could only mean one thing; the police were coming.

"Oh shit. Well, I'll just have ta get us outta here. Hang on tight." Zanza walked to Kaoru and picked her up, carrying her like a gunny sack.

"Hey!! Put me down NOW Zanza!! What do you think you're doing?!" Kaoru shrieked indignantly.

Zanza ignored her and put two fingers to his forehead. He closed his eyes and concentrated…

A second later, Kaoru's jaw dropped as she saw Zanza and herself flicker and vanish into thin air, and not a moment too soon, as a group of police barged through the door and saw the unconscious men, the gambling mats, and the swords strewn on the ground. No sign of Kaoru, or Zanza either.

-to be continued…

Japanese glossary

Bokken – A wooden sword used in kendo practice. Any self-righteous RK fan should know that.

Kimono – The dress normally worn by Japanese women and girls, tied at the waist with an obi.

Obi – A ribbon/sash used for tying a kimono.

Shoji – Sliding door in traditional Japanese houses, made of rice paper.

-dono – Kenshin-speak. Used whenever he says Kaoru's (or any other woman) name. A more formal version of –san.

De gozaru yo – Kenshin-speak, kinda like a long full stop. If the sentence is translated into English, it'd sound like "I have prepared breakfast, that I have." 

Sessha – MORE Kenshin-speak. It means "this lowly one".

Hakama – Those extremely wide pants Kenshin wears.

Daijobu – Are you all right?

-chan – A suffix used when referring to someone younger.

Gaki-deshi – Demon-student, literally.

Ano – Uh…

Iie – no

Nani - What?

Oro – Kenshin's trademark exclaimation of surprise.

Jou-chan – Sano's trademark nickname for Kaoru. It means "little missy".

Kitsune-onna – Fox-woman

Baka – Idiot

Busu – Ugly

Irrashaimase – Greeting used by shopkeepers.

Sou ka? – Is that so?

Itai – Ouch

Kami-sama – God

Tengoku – Heaven

A/N: Well, this chapter was kinda short, but I'll make 'em longer next time. As for the results of the bet, that damn Yahiko tricked me! He said that I was supposed to get 20 reviews a CHAPTER to win the bet…Kuso! Looks like I'll havta work hard…Thanks for all the reviews, guys! Hope you'll continue supporting the story…

-Sano


	3. Chapter 2: The Complex Web

**All The Difference**

**By Sagara Sanosuke**

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**Chapter 2: **

**The Complex Web**

"Hey!! Put me down NOW Zanza!! What do you think you're doing?!" Kaoru shrieked indignantly.

Zanza ignored her and put two fingers to his forehead. He closed his eyes and concentrated…

A second later, Kaoru's jaw dropped as she saw Zanza and herself flicker and vanish into thin air, and not a moment too soon either, as a group of police barged through the door and saw the unconscious men, the gambling mats, and the swords strewn on the ground.

~*~

They landed, rather ungracefully, on a pile of garbage down a side street. Fortunately enough, Zanza was underneath, thus resulting in two things:

1: Kaoru landed on something soft, so she was uninjured. The same could not be said for Zanza, who was rather squashed. Who could've known that that petite frame weighed so much?

2: Kaoru didn't land on the garbage, thus sparing Zanza from an even worse fate for dirtying her new kimono.

Frantically flailing his limbs around, trying to get the weight off him, Zanza rested his hands on something soft and warm. And round.

Whoops.

"ZANZA NO HENTAI!!!!!" Kaoru yelled in fury and embarrassment, smashing an empty sake bottle over his head and scrambling off him. 

"That was definitely uncalled for," Zanza muttered, rubbing the bruise on his head and pulling himself (and his spear) out of the trash. "So I accidentally groped something I shouldn't have. It's not like you're that endowed anyway…"

The branch Kaoru had dropped lay only a few inches away from her.

THWACK!

~*~

I hate my job.

Zanza gingerly touched the enlarged bump on his skull, glaring at Kaoru who was leaning against the wall in a sitting position. She had a rather serious, albeit thoughtful, look on her face.

Maybe she's finally accepting what I've told her. Thank Kami-sama…

"You said that you came from 'Tengoku'. Is that why you can teleport like you did earlier?" she asked out of the blue.

Zanza nodded. Good, she was starting to understand.

"But why are you here? And what happened to the dojo…and everyone else?"

He sighed and massaged his forehead. Wasn't she listening earlier?

"Look, you wished you'd never been born, right?"

A hesitant nod.

"Well, as I said earlier, Kami-sama's given you your wish. My job is to show you around the world…without you, that is… throughout the next 24 hours before you are to be sent to the sky, given a new body, reincarnated, yadda yadda yadda. You see, wishing for 'non-existence' basically means wishing for death. So technically, you're 'dead'."

"…I see…" Kaoru breathed quietly. "Maybe it's for the better…I shouldn't even have been born in the first place. Nobody needs a tomboyish, rough and hot-headed person like me anyway. It's not like anyone'd miss me. Kenshin would take care of Yahiko, Sanosuke would probably go off on his own, and everyone else would go on with their normal lives."

Zanza was silent.

"Well…lead on, then."

The guide mutely stood and waved his spear in an arc in front of him. A violet gash materialized , forming a sort of portal. Wordlessly, he motioned for Kaoru to follow him.

~*~

They arrived at an unfamiliar street in the slums of Tokyo. There were some huts here and there, most likely inhabited by either yakuza or people who couldn't afford to live in safer districts. All was quiet. That was strange, Kaoru thought. There were always at least a few people walking in the streets, Ruffian Row* or no.

While Kaoru was busy contemplating this matter, Zanza was checking out a hut at the end of the street. Through a peephole, he noted no one was home.

"Huh. Looks like he ain't in. In that case…" Zanza perked up. The sounds of a brawl could be heard from about two blocks down. Cocking a grin, he ran towards the source of the noise.

Kaoru pursued him, then screeched to a halt and blinked.

Sanosuke?

Indeed, it was the real spiky-haired fighter in the middle of the fray that caught her attention. He was picking off his opponents with casual ease, the same way he'd thrashed the thugs in the Akabeko the first time she'd met him. His zanbatou was wielded effortlessly; it seemed like a third hand for him.

Wait a minute…_zanbatou?_ Hadn't it been destroyed in the fight with Enishi?

"Not bad, not bad at all. I didn't think he was this good," Zanza commented quietly behind Kaoru. She jumped in surprise, then turned and glared.

"Don't do that! You almost gave me a heart attack!" she whispered indignantly, careful not to attract any of the brawlers' attention.

"Sorry." Zanza adjusted his glasses and continued observing, Kaoru following suit.

Sanosuke's eyes gleamed with a savage intensity Kaoru had never seen before in any of his previous fights. She was taken aback by his ruthlessness as he swung the massive blade at a trio of swordsmen, smashing them into a wall. All of those people on the ground, Kaoru discovered, were bleeding from numerous deep gashes on random parts of the body. 

It's like he's gone mad…

The kenkaya stepped forward, nudging a man at his feet, who groaned weakly.

Sanosuke grinned manically. 

The zanbatou was raised into the sky, where it stayed for a moment…

…before it smashed its victim into a bloody pulp. 

The rest of the remaining attackers and Kaoru were shocked. Some threw their weapons away and fled.

Is…is this really Sagara Sanosuke? He never killed before…he always insisted that the decision to live or die was for his opponent to decide.

The man who had always freeloaded off Kaoru, teased her and helped her out like a big brother was gone. In his place was nothing but a cold-blooded murderer with the skill and coldness of any hitokiri.

What happened next was no battle.

It was pure slaughter.

~*~

"Ugh. Hey, you alright, Jou-chan? That's a lot you threw up here…" Zanza grimaced at the mess in the ditch.

Kaoru weakly wiped her mouth and leaned against a wall, taking deep breaths. While the kenkaya had been brutally mutilating his adversaries, Zanza had turned around and pulled her away from the sight. When they had reached a side alley, her stomach heaved, a delayed reaction to the carnage.

"I just saw my friend killing…no, DESTROYING… a group of men, and you're asking me if I'm alright?" Kaoru shot back. "Why…why was he like that, anyway? It's like he's a completely different person…"

"He is. This is Meiji 12, after all…he's no longer the guy you met at the Akabeko 1 year ago."

"…Explain."

"In this present time, Kamiya Kaoru never existed. Koshijiro and Miyaki Kamiya passed away without an heir, leaving the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu to one of Koshijiro's students. When Gohee Hiruma came into the scene, the dojo was taken over, and thus Himura Kenshin had no permanent refuge in Tokyo."

Kaoru folded her arms. "What does that have to do with Sanosuke's personality?"

"It's sorta like this…" Thrusting his spear into the ground, Zanza weaved an intricate diagram in the air with his fingers, with lines crisscrossing, joining, overlapping and blending. Kaoru started a little at this…_spell,_ she thought, but didn't say anything. A blue point of light glowed in the center of the image. 

"Imagine that this is you." He pointed at the light. "Now watch what happens if I do this."

Retrieving his spear, he sliced one of the strings attached to the blue speck and pulled it. Part of the image shifted to become a different picture.

"That's what happened when you weren't around; a chain of events, in a way. It's like a complex web…Remove one bit, and the whole thing changes. No Kenshin, no Kenkaya Zanza changing his ways, no good ol' reliable Sanosuke."

Kaoru was slightly stunned, yet curious. "If the present as I know it has changed…what's going to happen in the future?"

Zanza was hesitant in replying. He seemed almost reluctant to tell her.

And with good cause, too…

She folded her arms and tapped her foot impatiently, an extremely typical gesture. The guide sighed.

"Sagara Sanosuke…or rather, Higashidani* Sanosuke, will die at the age of 35 in Tokyo due to a disease known as 'stomach cancer' in the West. As advanced medical treatment will not available at the time, he had no chance of survival. Alcohol poisoning and numerous fights took a toll on his body over the years."

Zanza nearly flinched at the mixture of horror and sadness on his client's features. Sighing, he ran his fingers through his hair. 

I hate this job. Oh, it's all fine and well when people have NORMAL requests like money, power, fame and so on, but when people get depressed…

Yup, this assignment definitely sucked. If it weren't for the fact that he needed it, he wouldn't even have considered it. He should've left it to the girls…after all, at least they'd understand her.

I'm gonna have a few things to say to Urd when I get back, goddess or not. I knew her sister would probably have been able to handle this…

"---his disease…Zanza, are you listening?"

"Say what?" Zanza snapped back to attention. "Sorry…daydreaming. What did you say?"

Kaoru sighed in exasperation. For someone who claimed he wasn't, he certainly was a lot like Sanosuke.

"I said, you mentioned no one treated his disease. What about Megumi? Or Gensai-sensei?"

He actually snorted. "Think, Jou-chan. He was an old man. He never lived long enough. And Takani Megumi? That's the next person we're gonna see," Zanza informed. Opening the portal once again, he stepped through, Kaoru following behind, silent once more.

TBC…

A/N: Finally, an update on this fic! ^_^ I suppose I've been pretty lax in the writing department lately. However, Yahiko's taunting got a biiit too much for me -_-++ Remember to click on the review button!

A/N 2: 'Ruffian Row' is a phrase I've seen in quite a few fics. Apparently it refers to the area of town where my house is (my REAL one, not the dojo, though I suppose it could be my second house…). I considered the phrase to fit the scene, so why not use it? ^^

A/N 3: This takes place after the Enishi thing, as most of you probably guessed. And no, this is NOT a Sano/Kaoru fic. I'm not really an advocator of alternate pairings, so sorry for those who do support those.

A/N 4: 'Higashidani' is my real surname. Won't be mentioned till manga no. 20-something, though ^^

Disclaimer(I know it's supposed to be at the beginning, but anyway…): RK belongs to me. Especially Megumi. She's mine ^_^ I wish. The three sisters that are gonna make a cameo later on are property of Kosuke Fujishima (is that his name?)

All reviewers will be honored at the end of the fic. There's just too many ^_^

Next up: Takani Megumi.

(ALERT! I need the help of an A+M expert for a future chapter. E-mail me at rid_hershell@hotmail.com for more details.)


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